GameSpot GamePlay Episode 25: Tap Tap-a-Roo

January 8, 2013 4:14PM PST

By Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor

IGN's Casey Lynch joins Kevin and the GameSpot team to discuss THQ, pit one Far Cry game against another, and show off his Peter Molyneux impression.

GameSpot GamePlay Episode 25: Tap Tap-a-Roo

Since THQ's assets are all up for grabs, we invited IGN Editor-in-Chief Casey Lynch to help us divvy up the games. Casey gives Metro: Last Light to Bethesda; Chris Watters chooses Red Faction for himself; Tom Mc Shea wonders what Nintendo would do with Darksiders; and Tyler Winegarner grabs Saint's Row.

Host Kevin VanOrd has his priorities in order, however, imploring someone--anyone--to grab the Homeworld license and do something with it!

You can access all previous episodes on GameSpot here.

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GameSpot GamePlay Episode 24: Rubbing the Cow Gently

GameSpot GamePlay Episode 23: Shame Stack

GameSpot GamePlay Episode 22: Doesn't Suck

GameSpot GamePlay Episode 21: I Like Getting Murdered

GameSpot GamePlay Episode 20: Remote-Controlled Rocket Launcher

GameSpot GamePlay Episode 19: Deja Vu

GameSpot GamePlay Episode 18: The Cinnabon Engine

By Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor

Kevin VanOrd is a lifelong RPG lover and violin player. When he isn't busy building PCs and composing symphonies, he watches American Dad reruns with his fat cat, Ollie.

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50 comments

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Lord_Python1049

Good podcast again Kevin, just please don't skip the metacritic over and under again!

Kevin-V moderator moderatorstaff

1 Like

@Lord_Python1049 It felt so dirty! Sadly, Casey had to get moving, so I had to trim things as we went along. I didn't realize that segment was so popular!

Yukeshime

@Kevin-V @Lord_Python1049

Just catching up on these after my winter break and I wanted to also show my support for "metacritic over and under". Kevin, I think you've spoken before about how you like seeing developers talk about games they haven't made (I believe it was Ragnar Tornquist tweeting about Call of Duty or something), and I like that "metacritic over and under" gives us that same look at how reviewers read and appreciate other reviewers' work. Additionally, I like the insight that it gives us on how you guys approach reviews, and that it gives more of an opportunity for you guys to talk about games, not that I don't also enjoy the more news-focused portions of the show.

NTM23

I agree entirely with Casey about Far Cry 3 and how it doesn't really make you want to play it anymore after you've done everything. I've mixed playing the story and the sides missions up, but finished everything before I beat the game, but when I did get to the credits and get put back on the island, I was done. There are other small problems with it, but... Yeah.

Tribesmaster

@NTM23 I thought it would have had much better replay value overall, if the multiplayer was any good.

tgwolf

If I am not mistaken and the earlier Far Cry games were not M there is nothing else to compare among them.

SwiftusMaximus

Thoroughly enjoyed the podcast Kevin,

the only downside is when Tom gets on the mic and pollutes the podcast with his endless negativity to any title he many not personally enjoy. I'm sure he's a decent guy, but for me, he's childishly annoying.

I have a lot of fond memories of THQ published games and will miss them dearly. They may not break sales records, however some of their franchises have brought me years of entertainment.

Would love to see Company of Heroes, Dawn of War and Homeworld- Relic, get picked up by 2k, an outstanding publisher in my opinion.

EA, Ubisoft and Activision, would completely butcher these beloved titles.

Riot Games and Company of Heroes? No thank you, what a shameful mix that would be.

I will be following THQ's IP sell off very closely.

Good gaming folks.

Falzonn

I'm gonna have to agree with Kevin on this one. Out of THQ's stable, Homeworld is probably the IP I most want to see go to a good home. Even better if ALL the Relic IP's (and maybe Relic itself) go to a good home. Relic's made a couple bad games, but Dawn of War, Company of Heroes, & Homeworld are some of my fav rts games of all time. Sadly though, space rts games just might not have the mass appeal to sell super well. Sure, games like Nexus 2 (ie: The Jupiter Incident) failed to meet its kickstarter goal (twice I think), which might show that space rts games are niche, but I'd like to think that Homeworld is more popular and well known & better able to sell.

I do kinda agree with Tom on the argument on not needing a specific IP. Sure, someone could make Homeworld 3, and while an established name will always carry extra weight, I don't think that should stop someone like Relic (or whatever pub/dev) from simply making a new space rts if it comes to it.

pal_080

SO happy to hear a title by title sale of THQ's assets (rather than a wholesale situation). Though I suppose this still means one company could potentially buy ALL of the titles.. which is what I don't want to see, because you just know it would be EA or Ubisoft, and they both seem to have lost their way when it comes to making great games, and hassle free DRM.

yeah_28

Im surprised they couldnt guess stalker, its one of the best THQ games ever. Although to be fair, the main menu music would've made it easier to guess instead of a guitar song you only hear in the campfires.

Frencho9

Sure don't talk too much about Company Of Heroes 2 on your front page and only in a podcast, it is the sequel to the best RTS OF ALL FUCKIGN TIME, screw Starcraft 2. CoH 2 needs more media exposure & coverage, Relic is the best developer under THQ publishing. U gaming sites need to do a better job on hyping it instead of typical cod clones or MOBAs.

Kevin-V moderator moderatorstaff

4 Like

@Frencho9 To cover a game there needs to be information to cover. What would you have us do--create articles every week saying "Hey guys, Company of Heroes 2 exists!"?

When a developer and/or publisher holds pre-release information close and doesn't disseminate it, *there is no coverage to give, because there is no information to cover.*

Goodness me.

push88

Awesome show, as usual. When are they gonna release Demon's Souls on PC?

gamingnerd121

@push88 Most likely never, because Sony owns that IP.

push88

@gamingnerd121 @push88 Damn... that sucks.

thequickshooter

a pod cast? what no text? no fucking effort?

wizardboyus

@thequickshooter so radio requires no effort either? i've just recently started listening to podcasts because I had a similar mentality about em, not giving em a chance at all. i was pleasantly surprised one of my favorites right now is "Radiolab"

NTM23

@thequickshooter You're pretty much saying that there's no effort to verbal conversation in general than.

Kevin-V moderator moderatorstaff

2 Like

@thequickshooter You've never heard of podcasts? They are audio and/or video shows in which panels of individuals discuss information.

I am sorry you've never heard of them.

FreedomPrime

@thequickshooter I bet you like to complain about a lot of things in life don't you.....

Ink129

3 Like

@thequickshooter A pod cast more or less speaks for itself, so why would you need more text?

gamingnerd121

Honestly, i hope none of the big 3 picks up any of the THQ games. Especially Nintendo, since they seem to have a problem marketing them.

anne_1230

The little bit at the end just reminded me of a thought that I always have when I see the GOTY results - I really wish that we get to actually listen to the staff's GOTY debate after the result is revealed. I would totally be down to sit through hours of arguing because I would no doubt find it a very simulating and interesting conversation to hear. But then again I can see reasons why such thing wouldn't be made public, e.g. it's Gamespot's GOTY and needs to preserve the award as having whole of Gamespot behind it.

phoenixto

old ips no value?

so i guess fallout beening brought back to life by Bethesda was a bad idea..

then of course duke nuken was better off dead :)

TomMcShea moderatorstaff

1 Like

@phoenixto There are plenty of older IPs that have value. I just don't think THQ has many properties worth paying for. Some great franchises and developers, but I don't think they have the commercial appeal or iconic characters that would make them worth shelling out big bucks for.

FreedomPrime

@TomMcShea @phoenixto saints row has a very large fan base. darksiders is growing. Company of heroes is one of the best and critically successful PC games ever. Relic is an amazing Dev team and they need to be picked up.

Tribesmaster

@Longini @FreedomPrime @TomMcShea @phoenixto Saints row 3 was disappointing

Longini

@FreedomPrime @TomMcShea @phoenixto MAybe anybody could make a Saints Row 1 or 2, but not the Third, it was the writing that made that game and they needed to go through those first two games to get there. I don't think any other studio could make a Saints Row game, especially the next great sequel.

NTM23

I have to disagree with Kevin, while I do like Jesper Kyd as well (his work on Freedom Fighters especially), Lorne Balfe did a mostly fantastic job on Assassin's Creed 3, and is actually one of the only aspects from that game that I thought was exceptional.

Vitex2003

Don't get it... Where is that gameplay episode video..? Or this is just some gameplay sound episode?

NTM23

@Vitex2003 What do you mean?

Vitex2003

@NTM23

I mean, I don't understand what this article and soundtrack is about... I thought it will be some gameplay video...

NTM23

@Vitex2003 Yep.

Vitex2003

@NTM23

Yes, I am new to this. I missunderstood this initially :) Now I got it. Thanks for some info.

NTM23

1 Like

@Vitex2003 Are you new to this? If so, to explain, this is basically a podcast, but at times they'll tangent off into a game, like "guess the song from this game" sometimes pertaining to what they may have just talked about, and other stuff like, guessing what game it is off of an ESRB description, and more small stuff like that. GameSpot GamePlay doesn't do video, that's not what this is.

NTM23

1 Like

It's always nice to hear when someone from another gaming site joins another; I've said that many times before on GameSpot GamePlay, but it's no less true. Hopefully at some point there'll be a host of editors from other sites that join the conversation at once and not just one, though that's a good start!

SaudiFury

that first song kinda sounds like Sum of All Fears.

Still need to do Company of Heroes though, before 2 comes out with the Soviet front!

g1rldraco7

OH I KNOW MCSHEA DIDN'T SAY SKYRIM IS BORING!!!!! DARK SOULS IS BORING AND IT CAN SUCK IT FOR BEING UNFAIRLY DIFFICUT!!!! APOX ON THEE BLASPHEMER!!! I thought Shaun McInnis was a child, but I feel very bad for Kevin Vanord dealing with a room full of children, but hey he does it calmly. I would have left the room before I started screaming.

Kevin-V moderator moderatorstaff

1 Like

@g1rldraco7 Don't feel bad for me; Dark Souls is my favorite game of the generation, and I would never accuse it of being boring.

NTM23

@Kevin-V What about Metal Gear Solid 4? :o I remember you saying that, that was (probably) your favorite game of this generation when you guys did the Metal Gear marathon. I guess you've decided which was your true favorite by now though.

Tribesmaster

@Kevin-V @NTM23 What about Resident Evil 6? Nah I'm just joking.

NTM23

@Kevin-V That's good to know, and I know what you were referring to, ha ha.

Kevin-V moderator moderatorstaff

1 Like

@NTM23 MGS4 is probably my number 2. And by number 2, I mean second favorite, as opposed to "MGS4 is poop!"

wezkilla

Darksiders franchise is the one people will buy THQ for it has more potential than any of the others a massive universe there to be untold

the RTS side of things in gaming now has died out almost so CoH and DoW wont be what anyone is looking for, Metro possibly

FreedomPrime

Darksiders II was by far my favorite games of 2012. I also love relic, they are one of the best strategy game devs in the industry and I loved what they did with the warhammer license. I really hope vigil and relic get to keep making games in these series...

michaelrjohnson

@FreedomPrime Darksiders II was honestly a bit disappointing for me. I absolutely love Darksiders, and part two just didn't have the "it" factor part one had. They dropped the ball on the incredible storytelling, and a "bigger" world isn't always better.

NTM23

Wait, actually a lot of sites are changing... Huh. Is it because it's 2013 and it's time for a change? Neat. GameTrailers has a different layout as well.